ISA (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar on Monday morning submitted his response to his dismissal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and stated that he will soon announce a date for his resignation.
In his affidavit, he referred to the Qatar-Gate affair, stating that in his opinion, "The investigation of Qatar-Gate raises great concern for the State's security, harm to the negotiations to release hostages, support for Hamas, and harm to the Egypt-Israel relationship."
He also claimed that Netanyahu often asked him to "act against elements in the opposition's protest, in contradiction to the ISA's rules."
"The Prime Minister spoke to me more than once asking me to implement his expectation that the ISA operate against those involved in anti-government protests. I was asked to provide details regarding the identities of Israeli citizens, protest activists, who followed those who were provided with security; it was clarified to me that I was expected to keep an eye on those 'funding the protests.' It was clarified to me that in a constitutional crisis I must listen to the Prime Minister and not the Supreme Court."
Bar also said that Netanyahu asked for his help in delaying his trial: "With regards to his trial, Prime Minister Netanyahu pressured me in an unusual and consistent fashion to give the instruction that he must behave in a way that does not allow the trial to be held. Within this, an attempt was made to force me to word a professional opinion in a certain way with regards to the above."
Regarding his dismissal from the team managing negotiations for the hostages' release, Bar said, "I was called, by surprise, to a conversation during which I was dismissed from the team - the timing was parallel to the return of the hostages in the first stage of the deal, and around the same time as talks were to start on the second stage; it surprised me."
The Prime Minister's Office responded to Bar's statement, saying: "This is a false affidavit, which will soon be disproven."